Skip to main content

Interspecific brood-mixing in Tanganyikan cichlids

Environmental Biology of Fishes volume 45, pages 141–149 (1996)Cite this article

Synopsis

We collected schools of young, guarded by parents, of six common cichlid species to investigate the frequency and origin of interspecific brood-mixing. The main host species were a piscivore Lepidiolamprologus elongatus and a scale-eater Perissodus microlepis; more than half of their schools included heterospecific young, accounting for 20–40% of the total young. Most of the foreign young belonged to four biparental mouth-brooders whose parents have a habit of carrying their young in their mouths. Many of these young were smaller than the largest young brooded by their own parents. We concluded that adoption of young before independence results from farming-out, a behavior by which parents actively transfer their young to foster parents.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References cited

  • Baylis, J.R. 1974. The behavior and ecology of Herotilapia multispinosa (Telcostei, Cichlidae). Z. Tierpsychol. 34: 115–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brichard, P. 1978. Fishes of Lake Tanganiyka. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City. 448 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coyne, J.A. & J.J. Sohn. 1978. Interspecific brood care in fishes: reciprocal altruism or mistaken identity? Amer. Nat. 112: 447–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gashagaza, M.M. 1991. Diversity of breeding habits in lamprologine cichlids in Lake Tanganyika. Physiol. Ecol. Japan. 28: 29–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hori, M. 1983. Feeding ecology of thirteen species of Lamprologus (Teleostei; Cichlidae) coexisting at a rocky shore of Lake Tanganyika. Physiol. Ecol. Japan 20: 129–149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hori, M. 1987. Mutualism and commensalism in the fish community of Lake Tanganyika. pp. 219–239. In: S. Kawano, J.H. Connell & T. Hidaka(ed.) Evolution and Coadaptation in Biotic Communities, University of Tokyo Press, Tokyo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Konings, A. 1988. Tanganyikan cichlids. Raket, B.V, Pijnacker. 272 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuwamura, T. 1986. Parental care and mating systems of cichlid fishes in Lake Tanganyika: a preliminary field study. J. Ethol. 4: 129–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuwamura, T., 1988. Biparental mouthbrooding and guarding in a Taganyikan cichlid Haplotaxodon microlepis. Japan. J. Ichthyol. 35: 62–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, D.S.C. 1980. Mixed species broods in Lake Malawi cichlids: an alternative to the cuckoo theory. Copeia 1980: 874–975.

  • McKaye, K.R. 1977. Defense of a predator's young by a herbivorous fish: art unusual strategy. Amer. Nat. 111: 301–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKaye, K.R. 1981. Natural selection and the evolution of interspecific brood care in fishes. pp. 173–183. In: R.D. Alexander & D.W. Tinkle (ed.) Natural Selection and Social Behaviour, Blackwell, Oxford.

  • McKaye, K.R. 1985. Cichlid-catfish mutualistic defence of young in Lake Malawi, Africa. Oecologia 66: 358–363.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKaye, K.R. & N.M. McKaye. 1977. Communal care and kidnapping of young by parental cichlids. Evolution 31: 674–681.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKaye, K.R., D.F. Mughogho & T.J. Lovullo. 1992. Formation of the selfish school. Env. Biol. Fish. 35: 213–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKaye, K.R. & M.K. Oliver. 1980. Geometry of a selfish school: defence of cichlid young by bagrid catfish in Lake Malawi, Africa. Anim. Behav. 28: 1287–1290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mrowka, W. 1987a. Brood adoption in a mouthbrooding cichlid fish: experiments and a hypothesis. Anim. Behav. 35: 922–923.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mrowka, W. 1987b. Egg stealing in a mouthbrooding cichlid fish. Anim. Behav. 35: 923–924.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagoshi, M. 1983. Distribution, abundance and parental care of the genus Lamprologus (Cichlidae) in Lake Tanganyika. Afr. Stud. Monogr. 3: 39–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagoshi, M. 1985. Growth and survival in larval stage of the genus Lamprologus (Cichlidae) in Lake Tanganyika. Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 22: 2663–2670.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagoshi, M. & M.M. Gashagaza. 1988. Growth of the larvae of a Tanganyikan cichlid, Lamprologus attenuatus, under parental care. Japan. J. Ichthyol. 35: 392–395.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noakes, D.L.G. & G.W. Barlow. 1973. Cross-fostering and parent-offspring responses in Cichlasoma citrinellum (Pisces, Cichlidae). Z. Tierpsychol. 33: 147–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nshombo, M. 1994. Polychromatism of the scale-eater Perissodus microlepis (Cichlidae, Teleostei) in relation to foraging behaviour. J. Ethol. 12: 141–161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nshombo, M., Y. Yanagisawa & M. Nagoshi. 1985. Scale-eating in Perissodus microlepis (Cichlidae) and change of its food habits with growth. Japan. J. Ichthyol. 32: 66–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ochi, H., Y. Yanagisawa & K. Omori. 1995. Intraspecific brood-mixing of the cichlid fish Perissodus microlepis in Lake Tanganyika. Env. Biol. Fish. 43: 201–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poll, M. 1986. Classification des Cichlidae du lac Tanganika: tribus genres et especes. Mém. Classe Sci., Acad. Roy, Belgique, Coll 8, (2) 45 (2):1–163.

  • Ribbink, A.J. 1977. Cuckoo among Lake Malawi cichlid fish. Nature 267: 243–244.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ribbink, A.J., A.C. Marsh & B.A. Marsh. 1981. Nest-building and communal care of young by Tilapia rendalli Dumeril (Pisces, Cichlidae) in Lake Malawi. Env. Biol. Fish. 6: 219–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ribbink, A.J., A.C. Marsh, B.A. Marsh & B.J. Sharp. 1980. Parental behaviour and mixed broods among cichlid fish of Lake Malawi. S. Afr. J. Zool. 15: 1–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sato, T. 1986. A brood parasitic catfish of mouthbrooding cichlid fishes in Lake Tanganyika. Nature 323: 58–59.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tahorsky, M.1994. Sneakers, satellites, and helpers: parasitic and cooperative behavior in fish reproduction. pp. 1–100. In: P.J.B. Slater, J.S. Rosenblatt, C.T. Snowdon & M. Milinsky (ed.) Advances in the Study of Behavior, Volume 23, Academic Press, San Diego.

  • Ward, J.A. & R.L. Wyman, The cichlids of the Resplendent Isle. Oceans Mag. 8: 42–47.

  • Ward, J.A. & R.L. Wyman. 1977. Ethology and ecology of cichlid fishes of the genus Etroplus in Sri Lanka: preliminary findings. Env. Biol. Fish. 2: 137–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wisenden, B.D. & M.H.A. Keeleyside. 1992. Intraspecific brood adoption in convict cichlids: a mutual benefit. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 31: 263–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yanagisawa, Y. 1985. Parental strategy of the cichlid fish Perissodus microlepis, with particular reference to intraspecific brood ‘farming out’. Env. Biol. Fish. 12: 241–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yanagisawa, Y. 1986. Parental care in a mouthbrooding cichlid Xenotilapia flavipinnis in Lake Tanganyika. Japn. J. Ichthyol. 33: 249–261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yanagisawa, Y. 1987. Social organization of a polygynous cichlid Lamprologus furcifer in Lake Tanganyika. Japan. J. Ichthyol. 34: 82–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yanagisawa, Y. & M. Nshombo. 1983. Reproduction and parental care of a scale-eating cichlid fish Perissodus microlepis in Lake Tanganyika. Physiol. Ecol. Japan. 20: 23–31.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Ehime University, Matsuyama, 790, Japan

    Haruki Ochi & Yasunobu Yanagisawa

Authors
  1. Haruki Ochi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yasunobu Yanagisawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ochi, H., Yanagisawa, Y. Interspecific brood-mixing in Tanganyikan cichlids. Environ Biol Fish 45, 141–149 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00005227

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00005227

Key words

  • Biparental mouthbrooder
  • Substrate brooder
  • Farming-out
  • Kidnapping
  • Alloparental care
  • Cichlidae
  • Lake Tanganyika